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Public consultation on the future of organic production

The European Commission launched on Tuesday 15 January an online consultation aimed at all citizens interested in organic production in Europe. The consultation will feed the reflexion on a new framework regulation.European organic production rules cover the whole production chain from farm to fork. Operators respecting these rules have the right to label their products "organic" and to put the European green leaf logo on the packaging.After having consulted and worked together with stakeholders in the organic sector to identify issues at stake for the future, the Commission is now turning to citizens. The consultation will cover possible simplifications to be brought to the existing scheme, while maintaining high standards, as well as the issues of control and international trade.Once all the aspects have been addressed and examined, the European Commission will be in a position to elaborate proposals for a renewed political and legal framework for organic agriculture in Europe, to be proposed by the Commission by the end of 2013.Dacian Cioloş, European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, said: "Today, resource management and sustainable agricultural production are becoming more and more important politically, and consumers are looking closely at how their food is produced. This is therefore a good moment to underline our commitment to the highest standards for organic production and to review our organic rules where necessary in order to see how to create the best possible conditions to encourage the development of organic production in Europe."The consultation will run from 15 January to 10 April 2013.Source: European Commission